Conveyor belt cleaner system and method of manufacturing same

Abstract

A conveyor belt cleaner system and method of manufacturing the same comprising a common component support frame, and key components of: mounting bar, blade support and scraper blade wherein the scraper blade is removably secured within a reusable blade support so as to allow replacement of the scraper blade. Key components are manufactured at a first manufacturing location in long, standardized lengths and incorporated with the common component at a second location for assembly. The key components included standardized guide markings for cutting the key components into segments and aligning key components with one another. A plurality of apertures consisting of holes and slots are uniformly displaced along the key components to facilitate alignment of the components during assembly and securing of the components with fixing elements.

1. A blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaner comprising:
 a scraper blade operably connected to a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly configured to maintain the scraper blade in an operative position in communication with a conveyor belt; 
 the mounting assembly comprising a mounting bar for releasable attachment of the scraper blade thereto and the mounting bar configured to enable replacement of the scraper blade; and 
 a blade support operably interposed between said blade and the mounting bar and operably configured thereto to removably and releasably receive the scraper blade and further configured to operably attach the scraper blade to the mounting bar, at least a portion of the blade support being directly attachable to at least a portion of the mounting bar; 
 wherein the scraper blade, mounting bar, and blade support each include a plurality of uniformly separated guides disposed thereon. 
 
   
   
     2. The blade assembly of  claim 1  wherein the mounting bar further comprises a plurality of uniformly spaced apertures configured to receive a first fixing element operatively associated with the scraper blade for securing the scraper blade to the mounting bar. 
   
   
     3. The blade assembly of  claim 2  wherein said apertures are spaced approximately 75 mm apart. 
   
   
     4. The blade assembly of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of apertures comprises a first hole and a first slot in the mounting bar. 
   
   
     5. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first fixing element comprises a shoulder bolt configured to be received by the first slot. 
   
   
     6. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first fixing element comprises a pin configured to be received by the first hole. 
   
   
     7. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first fixing element comprises a retainer configured to be received by the first hole. 
   
   
     8. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the first fixing element comprises a lug integrally formed within the scraper blade, the lug configured to be received by the first slot. 
   
   
     9. The blade assembly of  claim 4  further comprising a second fixing element, the first fixing element configured to be received by the first slot and the second fixing element configured to be received by the first hole. 
   
   
     10. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the scraper blade comprises a first through hole configured to align with the first slot in the mounting bar to facilitate insertion of the first fixing element through the first through hole and first slot to securely mate the scraper blade to the mounting bar. 
   
   
     11. The blade assembly of  claim 4  wherein the scraper blade comprises a first through hole configured to align with the first slot in the mounting bar to facilitate insertion of the first fixing element through the first through hole and first hole to securely mate the scraper blade to the mounting bar. 
   
   
     12. The blade assembly of  claim 1  wherein the plurality of uniformly spaced apertures comprises an alternating pattern of slots and holes. 
   
   
     13. The blade assembly of  claim 1  wherein the mounting bar further comprises a plurality of uniformly separated guides disposed on the mounting bar, the guides configured to facilitate cutting of the mounting bar into segments and to facilitate aligning of the mounting bar with the scraper blade. 
   
   
     14. The blade assembly of  claim 1  wherein the scraper blade comprises a first portion with a first hardness and a second portion with a second hardness. 
   
   
     15. A blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaner comprising:
 a scraper blade operably connected to a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly configured to maintain the scraper blade in an operative position in communication with a conveyor belt;
 the mounting assembly comprising a mounting bar for releasable attachment of the scraper blade thereto and the mounting bar configured to enable replacement of the scraper blade; and 
 a blade support having a longitudinal axis and operably interposed between said blade and the mounting bar and operably configured thereto to removably and releasably receive the scraper blade and further configured to operably attach the scraper blade to the mounting bar; wherein the blade support is configured to receive the scraper blade and to form a blade assembly, the blade support comprising a plurality of uniformly separated guides disposed on the blade support so as to intersect a line substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the blade support, the guides configured to facilitate cutting of the blade assembly into segments and to facilitate aligning of the blade assembly and mounting bar. 
 
 
   
   
     16. A conveyor belt cleaner for cleaning a surface of a conveyor belt, the conveyor belt cleaner comprising:
 a) a plurality of key components manufactured in long lengths comprising: 
 
     a mounting member comprising a first surface and a first plurality of apertures; 
     a scraper blade comprising a first surface; and, a blade support configured to releasably engage the scraper blade and to securely fasten the blade support and scraper blade to the mounting member, the blade support comprising a first surface and a second plurality of apertures; and,
 b) cut marks at spaced intervals disposed along the first surfaces of at least two of the key components, the cut marks configured to enable cutting of the key components into shorter, matched lengths with the first plurality of apertures and second plurality of apertures in substantially aligned relationship. 
 
   
   
     17. A blade assembly for a conveyor belt cleaner comprising:
 a scraper blade operably connected to a mounting assembly, the mounting assembly configured to maintain the scraper blade in an operative position in communication with a conveyor belt and comprising a mounting bar, the mounting bar having a longitudinal axis and configured to releasably receive the scraper blade; 
 a first retention region disposed in the mounting bar, the first retention region comprising a central axis extending the length of the retention region, the central axis not being parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mounting bar; 
 a first fixing region integrally formed with the scraper blade and configured to be releasably received within the first retention region of the mounting bar along the central axis so as to operably attach the scraper blade to the mounting bar; and the scraper blade capable of detaching from the mounting bar along the central axis. 
 
   
   
     18. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the fixing region comprises a lug integrally and transversely formed with said scraper blade. 
   
   
     19. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the first retention region comprises an angled, open-ended slot formed in the mounting bar. 
   
   
     20. The blade assembly of  claim 19  wherein the first angled slot is positioned 45 degrees from horizontal. 
   
   
     21. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the mounting bar further comprises a first aperture disposed in the mounting bar, the first aperture configured to receive a second fixing element operatively associated with the scraper blade. 
   
   
     22. The blade assembly of  claim 21  wherein the first aperture comprises a second angled slot and the second fixing element comprises a second lug integrally formed with the scraper blade. 
   
   
     23. The blade assembly of  claim 21  wherein the first aperture comprises a bore and the scraper blade comprises a first through hole configured to align with the bore to facilitate insertion of the second fixing element through the first through hole and bore. 
   
   
     24. The blade assembly of  claim 23  wherein the second fixing element comprises a shoulder bolt. 
   
   
     25. The blade assembly of  claim 23  wherein the second fixing element comprises a pin. 
   
   
     26. The blade assembly of  claim 21  wherein the first aperture comprises a bore and the second fixing element comprises a retainer. 
   
   
     27. The blade assembly of  claim 21  wherein the first angled slot and first aperture are spaced approximately 75 mm apart. 
   
   
     28. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the mounting bar further comprises a plurality of uniformly spaced guides disposed on the mounting bar, the guides configured to facilitate cutting of the mounting bar into segments and to facilitate aligning of the mounting bar and scraper blade. 
   
   
     29. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the scraper blade comprises a first portion with a first hardness and a second portion with a second hardness. 
   
   
     30. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the scraper blade comprises a base portion having first and second leg portions and the lug is positioned between the first and second leg portions. 
   
   
     31. The blade assembly of  claim 17  wherein the mounting bar further comprises a plurality of angled slots in spaced relationship and the scraper blade further comprises a plurality of lugs in spaced relationship corresponding to the spaced relationship of the plurality of angled slots. 
   
   
     32. A blade for a conveyor belt cleaner having a mounting assembly with a longitudinal axis comprising:
 a scraper blade capable of being operably connected to the mounting assembly for maintaining the scraper blade in an operative position in communication with a conveyor belt; 
 a first retention region disposed in the mounting assembly, the first retention region comprising a central axis extending the length of the retention region, the central axis not being parallel or perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly; 
 a first fixing region integrally formed with the scraper blade and configured to be capable of being releasably received within the first retention region of the mounting assembly along the central axis so as to in turn be capable of operably attaching the scraper blade to the mounting assembly; and 
 the scraper blade capable of detaching from the mounting assembly along the central axis. 
 
   
   
     33. The blade assembly of  claim 32  wherein the fixing region comprises a lug integrally and transversely formed with said scraper blade. 
   
   
     34. The blade assembly of  claim 32  wherein the first retention region comprises an angled, open-ended slot formed in the mounting assembly. 
   
   
     35. The blade assembly of  claim 34  wherein the angled slot is positioned 45 degrees from horizontal. 
   
   
     36. A blade for a conveyor belt cleaner having a mounting assembly with a longitudinal axis comprising:
 a scraper blade capable of being operably connected to the mounting assembly for maintaining the scraper blade in an operative position in communication with a conveyor belt; a first retention region disposed in the mounting assembly; 
 a first fixing region integrally formed with the scraper blade and configured to be capable of being releasably received within the first retention region of the mounting assembly so as to in turn be capable of operably attaching the scraper blade to the mounting assembly; and 
 the scraper blade being detachable from the mounting assembly only by movement of the scraper blade in a linear direction that is oblique to said longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly. 
 
   
   
     37. The blade assembly of  claim 36  wherein the linear direction is at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, relative to the longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly. 
   
   
     38. The blade assembly of  claim 36  wherein the fixing region comprises a lug integrally and transversely formed with said scraper blade. 
   
   
     39. The blade assembly of  claim 36  wherein the first retention region comprises a slot formed in the mounting assembly. 
   
   
     40. The blade assembly of  claim 36  wherein said first retention region comprises a slot formed in the mounting assembly at an oblique angle, relative to the longitudinal axis of the mounting assembly.